Just One More Night
by sixseasonsandamovie
Summary: Elena is beginning to adjust to her life as a vampire and Damon is unable to let go of his love for her. Yet what will happen when Damon realizes he can't settle for being Elena's plaything and needs to have her all or nothing? Primarily a Delena story, but with a sprinkling of other characters. Rated M for language, blood and smut
1. Chapter 1

"Stefan, don't worry," she soothed, "it's only for one night. I'll be back safely in your arms tomorrow."

Ugh, hearing her coos and sweet talk was enough to make Damon sick. He was taking Elena hunting; Loverboy would be fine without his precious little schmoogly-pie for the next eighteen hours.

"Elena, you know I trust you completely." Saint bunny-hunter was truly living up to his name. "You chose me, and I don't care about Denver or anything else that happened while I was away. I love you, and you know nothing you do could change that."

Damon heard Stefan lean in for a smooch. _Dear God, do they have to kiss so loudly? _Though he was half a boarding house away, to Damon's deeply annoyed ears it sounded as though Stefan was trying to suck every ounce of saliva out of Elena's mouth. _Heh, she can't be enjoying that_, Damon smirked to himself. It was no surprise when he heard Elena end the embrace only moments later.

"Then why are you so worried?" She asked.

"Elena, you're only a six-week-old vampire. I know you've taken well to the blood bags and you're doing much better at controlling your emotions. I'm so proud of you for that. It's just… I can't forgive myself for forcing you into this life…"

_Damn straight_, Damon fumed. _If not for you, little bro, my beautiful Elena would still be a warm, living, breathing eighteen year old. _It's not that vampirism had ruined Elena, if anything Damon only thought it made her more beautiful. But like Stefan, he had never wished this life on the innocent, caring girl who had once dreamed of growing old surrounded by family and friends. But rather than deal with the rage and sadness that followed that train of thought, Damon turned his hearing back to the sickly sweet couple several rooms away.

"If something goes wrong with hunting… if you got hurt, or if you killed someone and couldn't forgive yourself…" Stefan was on the verge of tears and couldn't go on.

Damon sighed internally. _Oh give me a fucking break_.

"Stefan, look at me." Damon could hear Elena bring her hand to Stefan's face, stroking his cheek softly. If only she would touch his face like that… "I'll be perfectly safe," Elena continued. "Damon won't let anything happen to me. We've gone over this a million times. I need to practice tasting fresh human blood so I'm more in control of my urges. I've got to do it for Jeremy, for Matt, for everyone. I miss them, and I can't be around them again until I'm stronger than my craving for blood."

_Damn, the girl's got resilience. You have to give her that. _Damon thought over the last six weeks of Elena's life, or rather death, sure they were the worst in her existence. She had accepted her fate with more courage than he had thought possible in a girl her age. Sure she was used to vampires, werewolves, witches and Originals, but becoming Mystic Falls' latest supernatural being had been a difficult blow for Elena. She had decided to complete the transition almost immediately, refusing to leave Jeremy short yet another loved one. Since then, it had been week after week of Damon fighting every bit of rage he felt for his brother and the utter despair that stemmed from Elena's choice. He had overlooked all of these feelings so that he could help her gain control of her senses, her emotions, her all-consuming craving for blood. She had readily faced each new challenge, constantly telling herself that she would return to a normal life with her loved ones once she gained control of herself. It was this spark of courage and selflessness in Elena that let him forgive her just enough to help ease her into the creature she would be for the rest of eternity.

Yet even as he helped Elena, a dark force was steadily building in Damon's heart. Even stronger than the anger he felt for his brother was the anger that he felt towards himself, and in part Elena. No matter how many times he saw Stefan take her hand, heard their painfully loud smooches and sickly sweet whispers, Damon continued to hold on to the hope that Elena's new life would mean a new perspective on her feelings for the Salvatore brothers. He hoped she would be his. He knew this would never happen - she had made it perfectly fucking clear. But even so, he couldn't let it go, couldn't stop loving her, and couldn't force himself out of her life. He knew he was already whipped, but she was really taking ball and chain to a whole new level.

Damon's thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on his door. "Are you ready to go?"

Turning around, he plastered a cocky smirk on his face. "Looks like someone's eager to ride with me all night." Elena rolled her eyes in response as Damon brushed past her and made his way to the car.

As he sped them out of Mystic Falls, Damon felt Elena begin to relax next to him in the car. His enhanced hearing assured he could hear the tiny sigh Elena let slip. "What's up, Buttercup?" he asked her, wiggling his eyebrows with a look that would have once made her beating heart race. "You seem a little down."

She pretended to ignore the look, but couldn't hide the tiniest of smirks that crossed her face. "It's nothing."

"Everything all right with Steffy-poo?" He mentally kicked himself for asking that question. He didn't need to hear how their love was even more perfect with her heightened emotions coming into play.

A moment of silence passed. Damon assumed she was just ignoring the question when Elena stopped gazing out the window and said quietly, "I don't know."

_What? Not everything is perfect in La-la Land?_ Damon felt the familiar tingle of hope crawling up his spine, or perhaps down his pants, when he stopped the car and cut the engine. He refused to let himself go there, refused to let himself pretend Elena would change her mind.

Elena looked troubled, glancing around at the empty highway they had stopped on. "Why'd we stop?"

"It's dinner time," Damon smirked.

Elena followed him out of the car and continued to seem perplexed by their surroundings. "I thought we'd be going to a nightclub, or a bar, or something," she mumbled.

_So she wants to get drunk with me, huh?_ Damon laughed at her. "You think I would take a six-week-old vampire who can't even handle being around her friends to some little club filled with pounding heartbeats?"

She pouted her big doe eyes at him, hoping he would change his mind.

"Besides, you're still underage," he winked as he began walking towards the woods a bit off the freeway.

Left with no choice but to follow him, Elena used her vampire speed to reach his side instantly. "Okay, so where are we going?"

"In here," he said. Damon stopped walking and looked at her intently. "Tell me what you smell."

She closed her eyes for a moment and Damon began admiring her soft face with its long, heavy lashes, creamy skin, perfect, full lips….

"Trees, mostly" Elena said and interrupted his thoughts. "Lots of soil, a few deer, and also…" She opened her eyes and Damon watched them darken as veins sprouted beneath the surface "Blood."

"Good," Damon encouraged. "Now, take a few deep breaths." He put his hands on her shoulders to help steady her as she slowly filled her lungs with unnecessary air. To a young vampire like her, this was still a very calming feeling. She looked at him once more with the same eyes she'd had as a human and he explained the plan. "There are two campers about a mile and a half that way," he gestured behind her, forcing himself to tear his hand from her shoulder. "They are the only two out here, so there's no one who will come running if something goes wrong." Elena's eyes widened in horror at the suggestion in his words. _Shit. That freaked her out. Let's try another approach…_

Damon stepped closer and replaced his hand firmly on her shoulder. She glanced at his hand, eyes wide with fear and a hint of excitement. "Elena," he said in a soothing voice, "Nothing will go wrong tonight. I'm here with you, and I will stop you from killing those people if that's what you still want me to do." She nodded at him slowly as her eyes began to brim with tears. She looked so grateful and he hadn't even done anything yet. He freed himself from the gravity of her large, brown eyes and took a step back. "You're ready, you can do this."

She nodded, wiped her face, and turned in the direction he had motioned. "Let's go."

Damon followed Elena, letting her use the scent of blood and burning wood to guide her through the woods and toward the lone tent pitched in a small clearing. Their unnatural speed meant they slipped through the woods without a sound and they could take the campers completely by surprise.

Elena stopped just short of the clearing and turned to Damon, looking fearful. "I don't know how to do this," she whispered low enough that only he could hear her.

_She's got to be the only newborn vampire in history to be afraid of hunting fresh blood rather than frothing at the mouth with anticipation, _Damon mused to himself. He gave her a gentle smile. "I can compel them to stay put and keep quiet. I can even make them enjoy it." He couldn't resist wiggling his eyebrows again with the last line.

Elena let out a weak chuckle and nodded.

Damon squeezed her shoulder, wishing he could ease some of her nerves. "Just follow my lead." He grabbed Elena's hand and heard her tiny gasp at his touch. He smiled to himself as they entered the clearing hand in hand. "Hey, anybody around?" he called, though he could clearly hear the campers' heavy footsteps and beating hearts on the opposite site of the tent.

At Damon's words, a man and a woman emerged from the other side of the tent where they had been sitting near their camp fire. "Hey," Damon said calmly. "We're camped about half a mile that way, but our flashlight died out. And _someone_," he poked Elena in the ribs for emphasis, "is a little skiddish out here all alone in the dark. Do you guys have a spare we could borrow?"

"Sure," the man chuckled and moved into the tent to dig one out. As he did so, Damon rushed in front of the woman and held her chin in his hand. "You will stay quiet, you will not be afraid, you will enjoy this, and when we are done, you will forget this ever happened." Once finished, he glanced back at Elena to gauge her reaction. She was standing a few feet back, arms hugged around her waist and rocking back and forth slightly on her toes. Her eyes contained an equal mix of timidity and excitement as she gazed cautiously at her first live meal. In seconds, the man emerged from the tent and Damon repeated the same process, ensuring their little snack would remain a secret.

Damon walked back to Elena, who grabbed his hand nervously. "Damon, I don't know if I can do this…" Her voice trembled slightly and Damon wanted nothing more than to take her fear away.

He positioned himself behind her and lowered his lips to her ear. "Of course you can do this," he whispered. "Right now, every nerve in your body is dying to taste that blood, begging to find out what it feels like coming directly from the source. You want to feel it hot in your mouth, sliding down your throat." He didn't have to continue as Elena was already rushing for the woman. Damon watched Elena's fangs sink into the woman's wrist and saw euphoria wash over her face as she got her first taste of fresh blood. He counted to three, then swooped in to separate Elena from the woman before she could completely drain her.

As he expected, Elena released a vicious snarl and fought his attempts to pull her away. With a final tug, he got Elena off the woman and pinned against a tree at the edge of the clearing.

"No!" Elena screamed, veins bulging beneath her all-black eyes.

"Simmer down," Damon smirked, confident in his hold on the young, thrashing vampire.

"If you loved me, you'd let me go back for the rest," she snarled.

_Didn't expect her to play that card. Well, two can play that game. _"_Since_ I love you, I'm keeping you from something you'll always regret."

Elena's eyes had reverted to their chocolate brown, but her rage was still fresh. "How can you say you love me, Damon? You're too much of a coward to even tell me unless you can make me forget."

_Ouch._ With all of Elena's struggles over the last six weeks, she had yet to mention her new found memories, and Damon was secretly hoping she never would. He knew her anger was simply a part of being new to the vampire game and a sign that her emotions were not yet under control. Even so, her words prodded the fire of rage smoldering in his chest. "You think I don't love you?" He brought his face close to hers, all the better for her to see the anguish flaming in his icy blue stare. "Have you been completely blind? Haven't you seen that everything I've done has been to protect you? If it had been up to me, you would still be alive, still be the normal eighteen year old girl you wanted to be!" He tightened his grip on her shoulders, then turned his head away, about to let her go.

Just before he released his grip, he was struck by a realization. _She doesn't know what love is because she hasn't felt it since she died. _"You know what? No." Damon turned back to face Elena, emotion still blazing in his stare. He planted his lips forcefully on hers, urging her to feel the passion in his touch. Elena's body slowly stilled as their lips connected, and to Damon's surprise, she locked her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. His kiss became slower, softer; a caress of her lips rather than the fiery assault of a moment before. She was matching his every motion, allowing his tongue to enter her mouth and grazing it gently with her own. Damon realized that with her new and improved senses, Elena finally understood that a kiss was not just a simple contact of skin, but a mode through which she could feel his love enter her every pore.

Damon pulled away gently, afraid of overwhelming Elena. He watched her open her bright, round eyes, searching them for a response.

"Damon," she breathed. In that one word she carried wonder, desire, guilt.

He let his hands drop back to his sides. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have taken advantage-"

"No," she cut him off with a finger on his lips that drew his gaze back to her face once more. "I want this." He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off again. "I'm sure."

She looked so resolute that Damon could only nod his head. "Well then," he said, backing away from her slightly. "Time to get rid of our audience." He turned back to the campers who had been standing impassively in front of their tent. "We're done here. Go back to toasting your marshmallows." He turned back to Elena, a wicked glint in his eye. "Come on." He grabbed her hand, tugging her back towards the car. "We've got all night."

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_A/N: Sorry that was so long! I just felt that I needed to set up so many pieces of this to get the ball rolling. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it because I sure had fun writing it. :) This is my very first fiction, so please let me know what you think. The next chapter is shaping up to be a very physical one between Elena and Damon, so hang on a bit longer if that's what you're waiting for! ;)_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Hi again! I was absolutely stunned by the reaction to the first chapter. Thank you all for your interest in this story! I was so excited by the reaction that I jammed out this chapter in one night. I hope it lives up to expectations :) So without further ado, I present the smut-filled Chapter 2. _

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A smile brightened across Elena's face as she chased Damon through the forest back toward the car. She was still running off the high she'd felt when that woman's blood began to ooze down her throat. The memory of it made her hungry, but as Damon turned to smirk at her, his eyes shining out of the darkness made her even hungrier. _That kiss… _She groaned inwardly at the memory of Damon's lips locked to hers. It had been a feeling more powerful than she could have imagined. Sure, she'd kissed Stefan since she'd become a vampire, but what she had with Damon was something indescribable, a feeling too overwhelming for her body to categorize.

Damon stopped as they reached the car, but Elena kept running until she had him pinned with his back against the car and his lips only inches from hers. It took a short moment of Damon staring at her before she even registered what she'd done. He looked at her questioningly, as though he wasn't quite sure if she meant to hurt him or not.

"I… I just…" Elena stammered in response. She was lost in the crystal blue depth of his eyes and felt herself drawing nearer to them. In an instant she had her lips pressed gently against his, welcoming the same wave of intense feeling as before. Their lips moved softly in time with one another while every inch of her body ached for his touch. She pressed herself up against his firm torso and slowly worked her fingers through his raven locks. A small groan escaped Damon's throat as he wrapped one hand around Elena's waist and spun her against the car, pressing her hard into the glass and metal. With his right hand, he cupped Elena's face and traced a gentle line over her skin glowing in the moonlight.

She felt him pull his head away and opened her eyes, silently begging him to continue. She watched a cocky smirk etch itself across his face and knew he must see how desperately she craved his touch. Faster than even she could react to, Elena felt Damon slide her out of the way as he opened the car door and motioned for her to enter. "The night is young, my lady." He winked as he spoke and she reluctantly shuffled inside the car.

They were speeding off again, headed not back toward Mystic Falls, but deeper into the wilderness. "Umm… Damon, aren't all the hotels kind of that way?" Elena asked, hitching her thumb behind her shoulder. The memory of their all too brief embrace in that Denver motel still burned in her mind and she felt unashamed to admit she wouldn't mind revisiting a similar scene.

"Silly baby vampires with their crazy ideas," Damon said, rolling his eyes.

Elena pouted her lips in protest. _What's so crazy about suggesting we take this to a hotel? It sure seemed like it was headed in that direction…_

As though he knew what was troubling her, Damon turned his eyes toward her and intoned in a less sarcastic voice, "I can't take you to a hotel for the same reason I can't take you hunting in a bar. Get you close to another living, breathing human and I'll be yanking you off them like I had to do with that camper. Although, that didn't have _too _unfavorable of an outcome…"

Elena saw him wiggle his goddamn eyebrows again, hating to admit how much it drove her crazy. Suddenly, a new idea struck her. "You mean…. are we going to… in here?"She looked around at the leather interior, not altogether against Damon pressing her naked body against the seats…

"An intriguing idea," he mused, interrupting her moment of fantasizing.

Elena studied the mischievous grin playing on his lips. "Well then, where are we going?"

For a second time that night, he stopped the car completely unexpectedly. "Here," he grinned and pointed at the view in front of them.

Elena apparently hadn't noticed when they'd left the main highway behind, because now they were parked at the end of a gravel road in front of a lake shimmering in the moonlight. She quickly exited the car, surprised that Damon would take her somewhere so breathtaking. The water was lined with tall trees on the far bank that slowly transitioned to a sandy shore with white pebbles sprinkled about. Perhaps it was her new vampire eyesight, but to Elena, the water not only shone under the bright moon, it glowed with a hazy white light that transformed the entire scene into something from a dream.

"Damon, this is so…" Elena struggled for words, knowing 'beautiful' or even 'magical' couldn't do it justice. She turned to look at him and was surprised to find him shirtless and tugging off his belt. "Whoa!" she gasped. "What are you doing?"

"What?" He paused and cocked his head. "Haven't you ever heard of skinny dipping?" He continued to tug off his jeans as Elena stood frozen in place. Her courage and desire from a moment ago went running for the hills as she realized she was out in the middle of nowhere with Damon, who was getting _naked_! _Oh my god, oh my god!_ Elena panicked to herself, though she couldn't resist stealing a glance at the still undressing vampire. _He looks so… Shit! No, NO! Stefan's gonna kill me! Actually, he'll probably be extremely understanding and take me back with open arms, but still! This is wrong, I can't- _She glanced at Damon again, who was now approaching her in only a tight pair of black boxer briefs. _I can't. I can't. I can't. _Elena chanted to herself as Damon stopped only inches from her. But with one look at into his burning blue stare, all thought dissipated from her mind and she understood only the gravity drawing her near to him.

Without another word, Damon reached out and unzipped her hoodie, tugging it from her shoulders and letting it fall to the ground. Elena reached out to his sculpted chest, letting her fingers explore the sharp ridges of muscle. She felt Damon shiver at her touch and quickly glanced back to his face. The look in his eyes was so intense that she almost felt her undead heart spring back to life. His stare contained a strange mix of desire and a great sadness that made her want to kiss away every bit of his pain. Damon began to pull her shirt over her head and she acquiesced, relishing the feel of his fingers dancing over her bare sides. Her skin burned with desire in the trails of his fingertips and Elena could no longer stand the few inches keeping her away from him. She snaked her arms around his sides, pulling his hard abs flush against her torso.

His lips found hers in the darkness and he began to kiss her with a ferocity that started an ache somewhere deep inside of her. He nipped at her lips, causing her fingernails to dig slightly into his back. To Elena's surprise, this seemed to urge him on and made his kisses harder, rougher. She gasped when he grabbed her chin forcefully in his fingers and tilted her face away to give him better access to her neck. Damon's lips continued their pleasing assault at an agonizingly slow pace down Elena's neck until her smoldering need was a blazing flame. _Bite me._ The thought came as a surprise to Elena. Surely she didn't actually want Damon to bite her? But as his tongue traced her artery, she envisioned his fangs sinking deep into her flesh and let out a low moan.

At this, Damon pushed her back slightly and planted a kiss that burned on her skin long after he pulled his lips away so he could quickly unfasten her bra. Elena panted as she let the garment drop to the ground and felt Damon's hands glide up her body to cup her breasts. "You are so beautiful," he growled and lunged at her exposed chest, rubbing his tongue over one nipple while gently tugging the other.

"Ah, Damon!" she screamed in ecstasy.

He worked his way quickly down her tight stomach and nibbled several inches below her navel as he removed her jeans hastily. "Mmmm, silky." Damon's eyes danced in time to his voice as he looked up at Elena while removing her red panties. Elena stared wide-eyed as he as he leaned in to kiss her where she ached most fiercely. She fisted both hands in his hair and arched her back as an agonizing moan ripped itself from her throat when his tongue traced tenderly over her throbbing clit.

Damon chuckled as he stood up again. "Right right, adjusting to heightened senses." He grinned ferociously. "We'll take it easy." Elena gasped at him again as he reached around to squeeze her ass quickly before heading off for the water. She stared appreciatively as Damon tossed his remaining clothing on the sand and stepped into the water to his waist. He turned back to Elena, beckoning her to come closer.

At the edge of the water, Elena stopped moving. Her trembles of desire were marred slightly by the fear that had begun to engulf her body. "Damon," she breathed, anguish in her voice, "I… I died because I drowned. I know I'm not really dead, but I don't know if I can…" Tears threatened to swallow her words and she stopped speaking and stared only at the sand beneath her toes. _Damn vampire emotions. And I'd thought PMSing was bad..._

Just then, Elena felt strong arms scoop her up under her knees and shoulders, followed by a perfect face that stared back at her lovingly. "Elena, you will always be safe with me." She felt him carry her closer to the water and heard the brief splash of his feet entering the lake. "You're with me, nothing bad can happen." The water lapped at her waist, her ankles, her shoulders, but in Damon's arms she felt no fear.

Once inside the water, wrapped in Damon's arms, there was no going back. There was nothing but the desire that had returned tenfold. Elena sprang at Damon's face, kissing his lips, his chin, his neck. She began sucking at the intersection of his neck and shoulder, once more enticed by the thought of biting him and tasting his sweet, sweet blood. _I don't think I could handle that yet_ she chided herself and moved back to his lips. She inserted her tongue forcefully in his mouth as she reached out and grabbed his throbbing cock. Damon's moan was so powerful that it broke their kiss. "El-e-na," his cry stretched her name into three syllables of pure pleasure. She worked her hand firmly up and down his shaft and was delighted by the wild look that crossed his face.

"Oh you dirty little girl," Damon growled in her ear. He untangled one arm from around her waist and rubbed it slowly over her chest, her stomach, lower and lower still until it brushed her heated center. She looked him in the eyes as he slipped two fingers inside of her. He rubbed his fingers hard against her front, hitting her G-spot and sending her eyes spinning to the back of her skull.

"Damon, this is too much…" she begged. She needed him, all of him, inside of her. Now.

He brought his eyes close to hers, looking himself as though he couldn't bear another second of their torture. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes," Elena answered firmly.

He locked his lips with hers in a deep embrace and forced both of them underwater. Without air in their lungs, they were able to remain under the surface effortlessly, suspended in a watery world invaded only by the glowing moonlight. With one hand clamped tightly at the base of Elena's skull, Damon used the other to grab her hips and push himself deep, deep inside of her. She shuddered with pleasure, unable to do anything but thrust her hips at him in response. Elena continued to grind her hips into Damon, already begging for release. Even the tiniest motion sent pleasure running through every single pore. She felt as though their skin was melting together, unable to separate his pleasure from her own. With one final thrust, Damon sent both of them spiraling through the white moonlight to a heaven known only in each other's arms.

Back on the dry sand, Elena could barely take her eyes off of Damon. He had somehow become even more handsome, even stronger, more compassionate. Their entwined bodies had moved something deep within her that she didn't know if she'd ever be able to put back into place.

Damon snapped her away from her thoughts by picking up her underwear off the sand and looking at her, "You're not getting the upholstery wet."

"What?" she asked. Clearly, it had been his idea for them to get all wet in the first place.

"I said you're not getting into that car while you're still wet," he said with another twisted grin crawling over his face.

"Damon…. what are you- hey!" Elena screamed as Damon raced around the edge of the lake at full vampire speed, still clutching her undergarments.

"Air dry!" she heard him yell back and she chased after him.

Running through the woods naked in the middle of the night chasing after Damon Salvatore, Elena let out her first real laugh since her death. In fact, she didn't know if she'd ever felt so alive.

Several minutes later they were back in the car, perfectly dry and re-clothed. Elena looked at Damon through her drooping eyelids. "Any more surprise stops?" she yawned.

"Nope," he smirked. "Looks like baby vampire is ready for bed." He turned them back toward Mystic Falls, reaching town just as the sun began to peek over the horizon.

As Elena began to drift to dreams filled with white moonlight, she was pricked by a tiny voice in her head that reminded her she was heading back to Stefan and the rest of Mystic Falls where she was supposed to stay far away from those icy blue eyes. "We can't do this again," she mumbled sleepily, drifting off completely.

Damon gave a small, sad smile and continued to drive into the sunrise.

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_A/N: Ta-da! Hope I didn't make that agonizingly long to read. Let me know if you like where this is going, because no matter what Elena says, there will definitely be more smut-filled chapters coming your way. Where would the drama be without that? ;) Again, I hope you enjoyed reading!_


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Hello, hello! I wasn't planning on finishing this chapter tonight, but I found that I got really caught up in writing it. Be warned, it's certainly not as lovey-dovey as the previous chapter, but I think that's what makes Damon far more interesting than Stefan. Thanks again for all the enthusiastic feedback! Happy reading!_

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_Smash!_

Damon hurled his empty glass of bourbon into the flames dancing in the boarding house's fireplace. _Such a satisfying sound, truly. _He chucked the now emptied bottle after it for good measure. A smirk played on his face in the glowing firelight, but his insides were reeling. _God-fucking-damn it, Elena!_ He began to pace around the room, though was slowed by his legs that had mysteriously turned into jelly. He flopped in one of the large leather chairs with a sigh. Made slightly dizzy by his movements, Damon raked his fingers through his long, dark locks, searching for answers somewhere between his scalp and neatly trimmed ends.

What more could he have done? It had been fucking _magical_. In his long life of drunken debauchery, Damon had gotten himself into countless situations that would be any mortal man's wet dream: twins, role-play, bondage, on tables, desks, rooftops, with blondes, brunettes, feisty redheads. You name it, he'd probably done it. Twice. All of those women he had tossed aside without a second glance, no matter how they had begged and pleaded for more of his sweet loving. So what made Elena Gilbert so fucking special? They had done it in a god damn _lake_! It had been their own private little dreamland under the water and it was even a first for Damon. A first! That was _really _saying something. So why was Elena acting like she didn't give a damn? He saw her eyes rolling to the back of her head, he _knew_ it had been mind blowing. Okay, so it hadn't been his longest effort, he could give her that. But that was only because she was falling apart at his every touch. He couldn't overwhelm her yet, things like that had to be worked up to!

And besides, who was she supposed to compare it to? Matt? Hah! That couldn't have been more than awkward fumbling in the dark. Stefan? He knew from having seen many of Stefan's women over the years that Stef only showed his true prowess in ripper mode, and then he was as likely to rip your head off as he was to make you scream his name in passion. There was no way that recovering blood addict/ bunny-hunting Saint Steffykins could show Elena that kind of affection. Not even close.

So why the hell had Elena been avoiding Damon since they got back? She'd shuffled off to bed without another word, (not even to Damon's bed, mind you) and had conveniently exited a room whenever he entered it. He kept obsessing over their encounter, there was no way she wasn't doing the same. Every time he closed his eyes, Damon saw those big, watery brown eyes, full, seductive lips swollen from his kisses, silky smooth skin, breasts that were so firm under his touch…

Stefan's shuffling feet snapped Damon out of his reverie. "What do you want, little bro?" Damon snapped. He had just been getting to the good part…

"Something wrong, brother?" Stefan asked, coming to sit in the chair opposite Damon's. "You seem agitated."

Damon reached for another bottle on the table next to him. He popped the top and took a swig. "Nope."

Stefan sighed and shifted in his seat.

"Something bothering you, oh great bunny hunter?" Damon's eyes flashed angrily as he helped himself to another gulp.

"It's nothing to worry yourself about."

_Ooo, something's really gotten under Steffy's skin._ "Trouble in paradise?" Oh, how Damon relished mocking his baby bro.

"Elena's been a bit … troubled since your trip," Stefan said, somber as ever.

Ever the innocent, Damon raised his eyebrows in mock surprise, "Oh?"

Stefan was holding the arms of his chair so hard his knuckles turned white. "Tell me what happened, Damon."

Damon chuckled inwardly as he filled his mouth with more of the contents from his bottle. "Whatever do you mean, brother? Didn't your precious little girlfriend give you all the gory details?" _Exactly how much did Elena tell him…?_

"Yeah, she told me about the campers, Damon." Stefan sighed and dropped his head. He spit out the next words like they were barbs in his mouth. "Thank you."

Damon's eyebrows wiggled in delight. "Come again, bro?"

Stefan raised his head to glare at Damon. "I said thank you. You didn't let her kill that woman. You kept her safe."

_Oh, I did that and so, so much more… _"Anytime." Damon raised his bottle as though toasting Stefan and took another long drag of the amber liquid within.

"As much as it pains me to say this," Stefan said, standing and turning to face the fire, "I think you should probably take her out again tonight."

Damon paused mid-sip and looked up at Stefan in surprise. _Yeah, don't think Elena will be going anywhere with me in the next fifty years._

Stefan eyed him cautiously. "Unless, there's something more I should know? Tell me, Damon, is there a reason you shouldn't be taking Elena out again?"

Damon pushed himself up out of the chair and swaggered over to his brother. "Not a one," he grinned.

* * *

Elena switched on the hot water in the shower of one of the boarding house's spare bathrooms. She just needed to wash off that lake water and everything would feel better. _Yep. A hot shower can fix anything. _She dropped her towel and stepped under the hot spray. _Ahh… See? Better already!_

Except for the part where it wasn't. Every time her eyelids closed, Elena could see nothing but Damon's strong face surrounded by the hazy water that only accentuated his radiant blue eyes. She let out the tiniest moan of pleasure at the thought and traced her fingertips delicately over her neck and breasts as Damon had done before. Incredible didn't even come close to describing it. Not only was it the best sex of Elena's life, or death, she supposed, but she was pretty sure it was the best sex that had been had by anyone. Ever. But somehow, she got the feeling that it was only the beginning with Damon; that he could take her higher than she had ever imagined possible. She slid her hand lower as she let her mind wander over the many possibilities they could have. Her fingers found her aching clit and began to massage it hungrily. The hot water pounded her flesh and soaked her skin, but it was a poor substitute for their underwater paradise. Her fleshy walls began to contract with need and she knew her fingers would never come close to satisfying her.

"Damon," she whispered. His name echoed off her lips, called out from every inch of her body.

"You called?" The snarky retort reached Elena's ears a second later, bringing her solo session to a screeching halt.

"Damon!" She admonished, quickly turning off the water and reaching around the shower door for her towel.

"Relax," he drawled, stealing hungry glances through the semi-opaque glass door. "Stefferooni's out playing with the little woodland creatures." _Stefferooni? I need some better nicknames…_

Elena peeked her head around the shower door, soaking hair falling gracefully over her exposed shoulders. "What do you want, Damon?" she narrowed her eyes.

"I want you to step out of that shower and take off your towel." He leaned back on the wall behind him and crossed his arms expectantly.

Her glare narrowed further. "No," she said simply.

"Oh come on," he cocked his eyebrow, "what's there to hide now?"

She ignored his remark. "What do you want, Damon?" Her tone was harsher this time. Mmm, he loved seeing her so riled up.

"You're avoiding me," he said point-blank.

"I… um.. I'm…" she stammered. _Shit. Yeah, I'm avoiding you, but you're not supposed to call me out on it!_ Besides, how was she supposed to face him after last night? She'd picked Stefan, and doing that with Damon had been horribly, horribly wrong.

"You'd better knock it off." He fixed her with a straight stare. "Your _boyfriend _is getting suspicious." He saw her flinch slightly at the mention of Stefan. _Good. You're supposed to._ He sauntered over to her, emboldened by the remnants of the alcohol swirling through his bloodstream. He stopped inches from Elena's face and noticed her eyes flick over his torso with unconcealed longing. "Unless," he whispered, "you've changed your mind?"

Elena stared at the handsome face framed with jet black hair. Her body was screaming for her to touch him, to wrap him in her arms and make him take her right here, right now. _But Stefan…_ "I… uh…" she sputtered into silence.

A deeply wounded look sprang to life in Damon's eyes, but was quickly covered by a cocky smirk. He turned around, giving her privacy. "That's what I thought." He strolled out of the bathroom and called over his shoulder, "Get dressed. We're hunting again tonight."

Elena reemerged from her room several minutes later clad in a body-hugging red miniskirt into which she'd tucked a white lace tank top that squeezed her torso equally tightly. The black, scalloped edges of her bra peeked out from the border of the white lace and matched perfectly with her black velvet pumps. Her normally straight hair had been transformed into loose waves that drooped seductively around her face.

Damon stopped dead in his tracks when she walked into the main room. His eyes widened as he devoured her from head to toe and back again. "Wha-… Ele-.. umm… you…" he stammered as he continued to feast on her with his eyes.

_Look at that, Damon Salvatore made speechless. _Elena felt guilty about their last conversation and hoped this outfit would be some sort of apology. She realized it might bring as much torture to him as it did pleasure, but she was silently pleading with him to overlook that. So far, he was making a damn fine effort.

Damon recollected himself. "You're not wearing that out in the woods."

Elena nodded her head and began walking toward him slightly, fidgeting nervously with her hair. _Here's the tricky part…_ "I was sort of hoping we could pass on the woods tonight," she said.

Damon eyed her cautiously and didn't budge from his position by the fire.

"Look, Damon," Elena made herself stare directly into his mesmerizing blue depths, "I'm sorry about last night. I know I can't go there with you and I won't let that happen again. I just-" she looked at him pleadingly, wringing her hands, "I miss the fun you and I used to have when I was human. And I was hoping, maybe tonight we could just go out and have fun. Save the hunting for another time?"

Damon furrowed his brow and opened his mouth to protest when Elena cut him off. "I know, I know. Too many hearts, too much blood. But," she motioned to the various liquor cabinets around the room, "I know that alcohol helps fight the cravings. So we could have a few drinks and you could take me out for just a little bit?"

This was about the stupidest plan Damon had ever heard, and the Mystic Falls gang had really come up with a few humdingers. He was about to tell her no, to put on some baggy clothes and to trek out into the wilderness when he was stopped by the look in her eyes. He could tell how badly she wanted to make things up to him, and at least this was better than her constantly running away from him. _I am so fucking whipped._ He squinted his eyes at her. "Fine." A genuine smile lit up her face and Damon tried not to regret his decision.

He poured them each a large glass of his favorite bourbon. "Bottoms up," he chimed and drained the contents of his glass. He looked back in time to see Elena do the same and pass her glass back to him for a refill. He chuckled and poured them each another round. "I seem to remember from Atlanta that someone has a tolerance that's 'way up here'" he says playfully, mimicking Elena's girly voice and handing her drink back to her.

"What can I say? It was a good night," she giggled and pounded her empty glass back on the table. "Another round!"

Damon did as she requested and handed her another glass. _How can such a naughty little creature have those innocent doe eyes?_ He drained his glass again to end this line of thinking.

"Ah!" Elena smacked her lips together. "We need music to make this a party!"

Damon thought it was pretty cute when she displayed her youth like this. The girl could use a break from the serious vampire training. _Alright, she can have one fun night._ He handed her the sound system remote, eager to know what she would select. The song she chose was something by Maroon 5; not a song he was familiar with, but one that had a jazzy little beat that set her to wiggling around the room.

"Dance with me!" She smiled at him so, _so_ sweetly.

He drained another round of bourbon and wiggled his eyebrows at her, "Oh trust me, Elena, you couldn't handle my moves."

She cocked an eyebrow in what he thought was supposed to be an impression of him. "Is that a challenge, Mr. Salvatore?"

Damon smirked as he set down his cup and moved to join Elena's prancing about in the middle of the room. He grasped her hand and twirled her around, setting her to giggling again as she wobbled back toward him. "Ready?" he asked, but dipped her low to the ground before she could respond. He pulled her back up and chuckled at the dazed but giddy expression she was wearing.

At that moment the song shifted to something much slower and Elena clasped her hands about Damon's neck. He slid his hands around her waist in response and they shuffled side to side. _When did dancing ever get so awkward?_ Damon laughed to himself because as silly as the moves seemed to him, Elena was clearly enjoying herself. He let his eyes linger over the soft curls of her hair to her seemingly endless lashes that batted up at him over those chocolate eyes he adored so much.

Elena sighed briefly and returned Damon's stare. "I'm really sorry about earlier," she said, remorse dripping from her voice.

"For the lake? For avoiding me after? Or for not taking your towel off in the bathroom?" Damon laughed at her.

He meant it as a joke, but suddenly Elena wasn't sure why she was apologizing. "No, definitely not for the lake." She was glad blushing was something she had left behind in her human life or her face would be a flaming shade of red. She searched his eyes, afraid of what she was about to say. "That was… incredible."

Damon couldn't believe she was saying this. Hadn't she wanted nothing but to run away from that memory? But then again, he _was_ pretty exceptionally skilled in the bedroom. His hands tightened around her waist while his thumbs gently caressed her sides. "Elena, that was…" Words failed him, but he could feel the love shining through his eyes and saw it register on her face.

Suddenly Elena tightened her grip on his neck and launched her lips at his. It took Damon several moments of savoring the rough passion of her kiss before he could pull her off of him. "Elena," he groaned, "Stop. You can't keep doing this hot and cold thing. You're really- hey!" Damon was cut off as Elena launched her attack at his neck instead. Her tongue lashed out at his pulse point, quickly followed by a gentle prod from her regular teeth.

This action sparked something primal in Damon and he let his anger and frustration take over. He forcefully pulled Elena off his neck and tumbled to the floor on top of her. He ravaged her lips and dominated her mouth with a rough twist of his tongue. He paused long enough to stare her in the eye, challenging her to throw him off. Instead, he was met with a burning gaze that mirrored his own. Her hands clawed at his body in a desperate attempt to claim his skin while he nipped at her breasts. He freed both nipples from the captivity of her black bra and pinched them hard between his fingers. Elena screamed in pleasurable agony. Inspired by her cries, Damon latched his mouth to one breast, allowing one of his hands to spread her legs and trace burning lines between her thighs. He avoided giving her any real pleasure to further the torture.

"Damon, please," she cried as her hips thrust up to meet his waiting fingers. Again, he refused to enter her, but felt her sweet wetness dripping from her core.

At this sensation, Damon could no longer keep his erection contained in his pants. He groaned as he removed his lips from Elena's breast while he freed himself. He stroked his length briefly and eyed her with renewed hunger. In one quick movement, Damon spun Elena so she was face-down on the floor. He collected her wrists in one of his palms and forced them into the small of her back. His anger was fueled by his flaming desire and he felt the need to completely control her.

"I'm gonna make you scream," he whispered maliciously in her ear and spread her legs wide apart.

She panted with expectation as she waited for Damon to pull off her underwear, her shoes, anything. She was trapped within the fabric of her clothes and was craving the contact of his skin. Without warning, Elena felt Damon tug her underwear harshly to the side and force the entirety of his length into her. He slammed into her repeatedly, forcing several prolonged shrieks from her lips. The sensation was too overwhelming. Damon was relentless and Elena felt her walls begin to tremble. She wanted so badly to reach between her legs and apply some friction to the aching nerves, but her hands were only pressed harder to her back when she tried to free them. Damon's animalistic assault was thrilling her and she felt herself tightening around his pumping shaft all too soon.

"Damon!" she screamed as he drilled her with several more forceful thrusts before releasing into her with a strangled scream of his own.

"Do _not_ toy with me, Elena," he whispered into her ear.

Both vampires stopped their panting when they heard a car door slam in the driveway.

"Stefan," Elena hissed.

_Fuck._

* * *

_A/N: And there you have it, folks! I wasn't kidding, no mushy-gushy in this chapter. Not much, anyway :) Thank you for your continued interest, hope I'm still keeping your attention! I whipped out the first three chapters pretty quickly, so expect a bit more of a delay before I roll out number four. Any and all feedback is appreciated. I aim to please :)_


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Hey there! Hope I didn't keep you guys waiting too long for this installment. Once again, it's a little bit different than what's come before, but I've got to take some time to set up the next few steps of the story. And thus, Chapter 4! :)_

* * *

Elena's eyes widened in a panicked stare. She turned to Damon, searching his gaze for a way out of their mess.

His returning stare was an ocean blue mix of lust and fury. "Outside. Now," he mouthed and signaled the rear door with an arch of his eyebrows.

As Elena sprinted at full speed out of the back of the house, Damon raced to the front to halt Stefan in his tracks. "Evening, brother," Damon said as he met Stefan just outside the front door.

Stefan paused and eyed Damon cautiously. "Damon," he greeted his brother warily. "Why aren't you out hunting with Elena?"

From her perch in a tree behind the house, Elena listened to the conversation tensely. Her heart might not beat as it had when she was human, but her insides were churning. _Shit! This is _not _supposed to be happening._

Damon didn't miss a beat. He folded his arms and leaned against the pillar to his right. "Well, that, baby bro, is because she didn't want to go hunting tonight."

Stefan curled his fingers tighter around his car keys and glared at Damon. "And when are you worried about what she wants, Damon? I thought all you wanted was her safety."

"I can be," Damon paused for effect, "persuaded," he intoned with a dance of his eyebrows.

_What the hell is he doing?_ Elena clawed at the bark of the tree nervously.

"Can't you ever be serious?" Stefan moved closer to his brother, his every step a challenge. "She needs our protection, brother. Now more than ever." Stefan shook his head in frustration and made to move past Damon. "I thought I could count on you for that. Isn't that while you're still here?"

Elena still clung to her tree tightly, not quite able to relax yet. _'Still here'? _What was Stefan saying? Damon wasn't going anywhere, was he?

Damon blocked Stefan's motion with a hard bump from his shoulder. "Don't be mistaken, Stef," Damon's eyes were alight with anger. "She's only in this mess because you were the one who was too worried about respecting her decisions to keep her safe. Now you get to live with that. Forever."Damon watched his brother's shoulders drop in defeat. _Oh little Steffykins, ever the self-loathing martyr._

The younger Salvatore's eyes were filled with despair when he brought himself to meet Damon's steady gaze once more. "I know what I've done," he said, pain dripping from every syllable. "I just need to see her, Damon. I'll convince her to go hunting." He took a raspy breath and shifted uncomfortably. "She needs to get stronger. It's my duty to see that happens. I owe it to her." Stefan brushed past his brother and entered the boarding house.

_Damn, that was even easier than I thought. _Damon couldn't disguise the cocky smirk playing on his lips as he followed his brother inside.

On her secret perch, Elena finally let her shoulders drop. _Crisis averted._ How had Damon turned things around on Stefan so easily? Stefan should be ripping Damon limb from limb, but was instead sulking into the boarding house at human speed. _That was really a low blow, Damon._ She made a mental note to kick him for it later. With her superhuman strength, she could finally make it hurt. Elena found herself smiling at the thought.

_No. Stefan. I should be thinking about Stefan. _With a sigh, she leaped down from her branch and rocketed up the back stairs and into the bedroom she had taken over for the last six weeks. She planted herself on the bed just as Stefan rapped softly on her door.

Stefan peeked his head around her door, a gentle smile on his face. "Hey," he said.

"Hey," Elena smiled back and beckoned him to come closer.

On his way to her bed, Stefan seemed to register Elena's figure-hugging apparel. "Wow, you look stunning." He placed a quick kiss on her lips as he came to sit beside her. "What's the occasion?"

Elena's guilt slammed into her with the force of a freight train. She was dressed up for Damon; there was no way to avoid that. She could pretend it had been an apology or write it off to newborn vampire emotions, but Damon was the root cause no matter how she rationalized it. She offered Stefan a weak smile. "I guess I just wanted to go out for once."

He stroked her hand with deep affection. "I know it can't be easy being cooped up in here all the time."

_You wouldn't be so understanding if you knew what I'd just done with your brother._ "I'm doing okay." She tried to smile again, but wasn't sure if it was convincing.

A pained look took over his face as Stefan reached out to stroke her cheek. "You're doing more than okay. You know how proud of you I am."

_Oh Stefan, stop! You can't be proud of me. Not after this._ Tears threatened to spring from her eyes, but Elena bit them back.

Evidently taking her reaction as sadness over her new condition, Stefan pulled Elena into a tight hug. "You're going to get through this, Elena. I promise you."

The tears were falling now; there was nothing she could do.

He stroked her hair and tried to still the girl crying in his arms. "You've gotta be strong just a little bit longer. Go hunting with Damon, practice drinking blood, and you'll be back with your friends in no time."

How could Stefan be pushing her to go with Damon? _I should tell him. I just need to come clean and put everything out in the open. _Elena pulled herself out of Stefan's embrace and studied the lines furrowing across Stefan's forehead, the deep sadness in his eyes. How could she make this worse on him? How could she inflict more pain on the person who was already suffering so much for something she had asked him to do in the first place? She had told him to save Matt. It wasn't Stefan's fault that she was a vampire; she had chosen to die and would make the same choice a thousand more times if given the chance. No, she would persevere for him and one day when he had forgiven himself, she would tell him about her transgression. He would see that she had stayed with him and that he was her one true love.

Elena sniffled and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Okay, yeah, I'll go," she told him.

A smile brightened Stefan's somber expression and he seemed visibly more at ease. "You're doing the right thing, Elena," he said reassuringly. Stefan leaned in and wrapped her lips in a long embrace with his own.

She felt no sparks. It was nothing but contact between dead, cold skin.

* * *

A short time later, Elena was clad in an outfit deemed acceptable for hunting and found herself once again in the passenger seat of Damon's car. They were traveling out of Mystic Falls, but thankfully in the opposite direction of their last journey. Elena was still revisiting the moonlit lake in her dreams, but felt no desire to return to the scene in reality. She broke the silence that had been pressing on them since entering the vehicle: "So, where are we off to tonight?"

"Somewhere a little more domestic," Damon offered in response.

Elena crossed her arms in frustration. "I've had a rough night, Damon. Just tell me where we're going."

"Me-ow, put the claws away, kitty cat," Damon intoned with a raise of his eyebrows. He looked at Elena to see if she would laugh, but she gave nothing away. "You need to practice getting around the 'no entrance' policy associated with our condition." Another glance at Elena revealed her little doe-eyes bugging out of her head.

"Damon!" she gasped. "Are you saying we're going into someone's house to feed on them?" She searched his crystal blue eyes. "You can't be serious."

He flared his eyes at her, removing his gaze from the road ahead. _What part of 'you're a baby vampire and don't know what's best for you' doesn't make sense to her?_ He was sick and tired of Elena trying to call the shots. Following her ridiculous ideas only led to compromising situations that she pretended to regret almost immediately. She couldn't keep moaning his name in pleasure and then run back to Stefan the very next second. He swallowed his growing rage and put his eyes back on the road. "You're doing this, Elena."

She turned her body to face Damon and set her hand lightly on his arm. Elena noticed his eyes flick to her touch, but he pulled them away quickly. "Please, Damon," she pleaded, "I can't."

"You say you can't do a lot of things Elena," he shot her an icy glare for emphasis, "but then you go ahead and do them anyway." He shrugged her hand off his arm and turned away from the wounded look in her eyes.

Elena slumped back in her seat, resting her head on the cool window pane. _Shit. He's right. _"I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't-"

"Save your apologies," he cut her off with his curt tone. "You don't mean it anyway."

Her hands became fists pressing firmly into the seat beside her. "That's not fair. You know I don't want to hurt you."

The hurt in her voice was almost enough to make Damon believe her, but his anger continued to smolder and he couldn't resist shooting another zinger in her direction. "You say you don't want to hurt Stefan, either, but you sit there crying in your room letting him think you're a poor little baby vampire trapped in a cage. But I know why you were crying Elena. I know that you couldn't bear his sweet little nothings when your body was still burning from my touch."

Elena was stunned into silence. What was she supposed to say to that? 'I'm sorry'? 'I know'? 'I'll do better next time'? _Next time? No. There will be no next time. _She decided not to say anything and only turned to look at Damon.

She couldn't lie to herself: she missed having his silky locks wrapped tight around her fingers. She missed the feeling of his hard, muscular stomach pressed against her while he wrapped her in his embrace. She missed the tenderness in his kiss and the way just one brush of his lips had set every pore in her body aflame. To Elena, all of these seemed like only physical desires; something on the level of hunger or fatigue. She could go a few extra hours without eating or stay awake even when she was tired, so why couldn't she resist Damon? Why couldn't she just say no?

Damon felt Elena's gaze crawling slowly over his body, but couldn't bring himself to look her in the eye. He should be running far away from her. She had chosen Stefan and continued to use every chance she got to rub that in Damon's face. The rage he had been feeling for the last six weeks was at an all-time high, yet all it took was a glance at her chocolate eyes filled with longing for him to forget everything else. She made him ridiculously weak, yet somehow stronger at the same time. He had never felt more powerful in his extended life than he had with Elena in his arms and their bodies entwined. _Ugh, when did I become such a sap?_

Damon pulled the car to the side of the road. "We're here," he said without inflection.

Elena lifted her head off the window and looked around. The large, white house was the only one within sight. It had two stories, a wrap-around porch and a barn and silo in the field to the rear. "A farm house?" she asked.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," Damon smirked.

She couldn't help but smile at Damon's particular brand of sarcastic humor. "Okay, stupid question," she admitted. "_Why_ are we at a farm house?"

"There are several advantages," he said as he slid out of the car and sped around to open Elena's door for her. She stepped out and eyed Damon curiously as he continued. "No neighbors to worry about," he said, careful to avoid mention of blood or uncontrollable urges, "and they almost always have dessert."

Her eyes widened. "You mean, like … the barn animals?" She knew that feeding on animals might be more humane, but she couldn't compel those poor creatures not to feel pain.

Damon let out a genuine laugh and ruffled her hair. "Quit thinking like a vampire," he chuckled. "I meant pie."

Elena let out her own chuckle of relief and felt the tension from before begin to ebb away. How Damon could make her laugh about pie at a time like this was a marvel to her.

As he had before their previous hunt, Damon asked Elena to close her eyes and focus on her surroundings. "How many heartbeats can you hear?" His whisper came close to her ear and sent a little shiver down her spine. Damon repressed a chuckle as Elena scrunched up her face to intensify the power of her concentration.

"Just one," Elena said after a moment's pause. She looked into his icy cool stare for reassurance. "I can do this, right?" she said weakly.

His returning smile radiated nothing but confidence. "Go get 'em, tiger," he whispered.

Elena laughed and punched him playfully in the arm. "You're so cheesy tonight!"She grabbed his hand and tugged him up to the front porch of the house. She tried to ignore the tingles running up her arm from where their hands connected.

Damon eyed her grasp on his hand curiously. He knew he shouldn't let her tease him like this, but Elena needed his comfort right now. The little thrill he got from her feather-light fingers wrapped around his would just have to be a minor side effect. _So fucking whipped,_ he chided himself again.

The pair paused briefly in front of the house's navy blue door. "Can you take the reins on this one?" Damon asked Elena cautiously.

She nodded minimally. "Yeah," she said with the tiniest tremor in her voice. "I can do this." Elena rapped on the door and shifted slightly from side to side as she waited for a response.

A middle aged woman in a simple blue dress answered the door. She eyed the vampires warily. "Can I help you?" she asked in a voice heavy with suspicion.

"That's our car out there," Elena said as she motioned to Damon's vehicle with her free hand. "Our battery died and we were hoping we could use your phone to get a tow truck?"

The woman in the doorway didn't move. "Don't you have cell phones?"she asked.

Elena silently kicked herself. "Umm… yeah, but the batteries are dead in those, too…" Elena said with a grimace.

Damon was howling with laughter on the inside. This was about the lamest excuse she could have possibly thought of. Maybe they should have role-played this out first. She could be the hot little housewife and he could be the dark, mysterious man begging to get inside…

The woman in the doorway didn't seem too convinced by Elena's story, so she tried again. "Can we _please_ come in to use the phone?" Elena practically begged, "It will just be a minute."

The woman released a small sigh. "You can," she said finally, pointing to Elena, "but he has to wait out here." She eyed Damon up and down, frowning over her leather jacket and tight, black shirt.

_Shit. She's not ready for this. _Damon pulled lightly on Elena's hand, about to tell her they would be better off at the next house, when he heard Elena say what was easily the stupidest thing she had said in the last twenty-four hours: "Sure. No problem." Damon's eyes flared at Elena like never before. He had half a mind to yank her off of the porch and drag her by her hair to the boarding house where he could keep her locked up and unable to act on her increasingly idiotic ideas. But before Damon could stop her, Elena had crossed the threshold of the home and was now completely out of his reach.

She turned around and gave him what she meant to be a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine," she soothed.

"Elena," Damon hissed. "Come back. You shouldn't be doing this."

But Elena turned her head and strolled into the house and away from Damon's hand that still ached for her touch.

A few minutes later, a woman's scream pierced the night.

* * *

_A/N: Whoomp, there it is! I know, no smut this time, but I promise it'll come again soon :) Was it Elena's scream, or was it the woman who owns the house? Will Damon be the white knight, or the dark, twisted punisher? I'll have that all worked out in Chapter 5, and hopefully you won't have to wait too long to see that chapter. Thank you for reading this far! I hope you are still enjoying the story :) It's been fun to write and I would love to hear what you all think about it._

_P.S. Thank you yet again for all of the enthusiastic feedback. You guys make me so excited to write more!_


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Hey there! Sorry it's been a little while. I've had this and the chapter after it planned out for a while, but it took a bit to find the time to write. Be warned, this is the longest chapter yet, but I think it's worth reading until the very end ;)_

* * *

Damon boiled with rage as he watched Elena enter the house. _What the fuck does she think she's doing? I have to get in there, NOW._ He fumed and paced on the porch, trying to figure out a way inside. He couldn't get through any opening in the house without an invitation, and he had missed his one chance for that. _I could force them to come out here. _Damon remembered when Klaus hurling flaming objects into the house when he hadn't been invited in. _Shit. No, that would only freak her out more. _Elena was already nervous about feeding, he couldn't send her into a frenzy by trying to burn the house down. Who knew what she would do then?

A few seconds passed with no sound from inside the house. Damon was getting ready to reconsider his attitude toward fire when he heard a car pull up the gravel driveway. _Well, shit. This just got more complicated._ Damon sped toward the sound, ready to annihilate this new intruder.

The man getting out of the red pickup truck was roughly the same age as the woman in the house and was dressed in a plain white shirt under dusty overalls. This man gave Damon a new idea.

"Hey, do you live here?" Damon asked the man, popping up right beside him.

"Yeah…." the man said, bewildered. "What's going on-"

Damon cut the man off with a tight grip on his throat. He stared deeply into the man's frightened eyes. "You're going to be _real_ hospitable tonight," Damon said in a commanding voice. He released his grip slightly. "May I come in?"

"Of course, come on in, mister," the man drawled. He looked at Damon, startled. "Why did I just say that?"

The vampire had no time to laugh at the human's weakness. Instead, he widened his eyes to compel the man once more. "Stay right here. Do not be afraid. Do not tell anyone that I am here."

That matter settled, Damon raced through the front door that no longer posed a barrier to him. As he did, a scream echoed throughout the house. He would know that scream anywhere. "Elena!" he called desperately as he shot up the stairs in search of the girl in distress. At the top of the stairs, Damon stared through an open doorway that revealed Elena moaning on the floor with the woman in the blue dress standing behind her. "What the hell?" Damon snarled as he readied himself to lunge at the woman.

"Stop right there," she said fiercely as she held up a dart filled with a yellow liquid that glinted in the light.

"Vervain," Damon hissed. _What the fuck is this farmer's wife doing with vervain darts?_ He curled and uncurled his fists, trying to decide if he could scoop up Elena and dash out of the house before the woman could react.

"I knew you'd come here eventually," the woman went on. "I heard about all of those animal attacks in Mystic Falls, I knew what was really happening. I've been drinking this stuff in my morning tea every day since then. Been telling Jerry to drink it too, but I guess he hasn't been since he seems to have invited you inside." The woman narrowed her eyes at Damon, then held up her dart smugly. "Guess that doesn't matter, though. When you're little girlfriend tried to mind-control me, I stabbed her in the back!" The woman laughed heartily.

That was it. Damon's rage exploded out of his body with a snarl that revealed the monster under his human form. He lunged at the woman and knocked the dart from her hand with one quick swipe. He felt his fangs extend and wanted nothing more than to drain every ounce of blood from the woman's body, to really make her suffer. He stopped himself, knowing her vervain-filled blood would be poison to his system. With another fierce growl, he snapped the woman's neck and watched her body crumple to the floor. He heaved it over the railing and down the stairs where it landed just inside the front door with a sickening thump.

He turned his attention to Elena who was still groaning weakly on the floor. Damon scooped her up in his arms as he had done only the night before. He supported her with one sturdy arm while he gently brushed a few strands of hair off of her face. His blue eyes searched her face, checking for injuries.

"Damon," she breathed softly. Her eyes fluttered up to his, shining with deep gratitude. "Thank-"

"Shh," Damon whispered. He planted a small kiss on those full, smooth lips he loved so much. "Just rest."

Elena burrowed her face into Damon's chest, his irresistible scent the last thing she registered before falling into darkness.

Damon felt the girl go limp in his arms and made his way carefully down the stairs. He had been stupid to bring her here and promised himself he wouldn't endanger his beautiful Elena like this ever again.

Outside the house, he paused only long enough to compel the man to remember his wife had fallen down the stairs and to forget Damon and Elena's presence. He then placed Elena gingerly in the passenger seat of his car before whipping around to the other side and shooting the car back out into the night. Damon kept his eyes equally on the road and on Elena's sleeping form while he dug his phone out of his back pocket. His fingers moved quickly through the contact list before hitting the call button.

After three rings, a sleepy voice answered, "Hello?"

"Jeremy," Damon said quickly.

"Damon? What the hell, man? Do you know what time it is?" Jeremy mumbled into the phone.

Damon's eyes danced tenderly over Elena's unconscious form. "I'm bringing Elena over for a little visit," he said without a hint of the pain in his voice that was coursing through his body.

"Elena?" Damon had Jeremy's full attention. "Shit, man. Is she okay? Can I talk to her?"

"She's fine," Damon said, putting a halt to Jeremy's questions. "We'll see you in ten minutes." Damon ended the call before Jeremy could protest, and turned his attention back to Elena. "I am so, so sorry," he whispered. His fingers stroked her face from chin to temple and back. He thought he saw her smile peacefully at his movement, but it was probably only a trick of the passing street lights.

After rocketing the car through the night at breakneck speed, Damon parked in front of the Gilbert home. He had only brought Elena here once since her transformation when she had pleaded and promised she would be on her best behavior to see her brother. In typical Elena fashion, however, she had overestimated her self control as a three week old vampire and snapped hungrily at Jeremy's neck. After that, Damon called an end to Elena's play dates. Yet here they were again, after Elena had gotten herself into an even stupider and more dangerous situation. He lifted Elena gingerly from the vehicle, hoping the vervain coursing through her would keep her off of Jeremy long enough for them to have their touching little reunion. Damon rapped on the door and shifted Elena slightly in his arms. She looked peaceful lying there, but Damon knew she'd be in for hell when she woke.

Jeremy flung the door open, concern replacing the sleepiness on his face when he saw Elena limp in Damon's arms. "What the hell did you do to her?" he snapped.

Damon's ice cold eyes flared at Jeremy as he brushed past him and into the living room. "I saved her," he said as he walked, "from some psycho bitch out in the middle of nowhere who just happened to have a stash of vervain darts." He placed Elena delicately on the sofa and turned to look at her brother who had followed them into the room.

Jeremy's mouth kept opening and closing in shock, though he formed no coherent words. "What the hell?" he finally sputtered. "How did she get vervained? People outside of Mystic Falls know about vampires? Why the hell didn't you save here _before_ she got hit?" When Damon remained silent and focused on Elena, Jeremy grabbed the vampire's arm and spun him around. "Answer me!" he shouted.

"I'm going to get some blood bags," he replied coolly. His eyes were still lingering over Elena though he was now facing Jeremy. "I think Elena should stay here for a while." He turned his eyes on Jeremy with a stare so full of pain that the boy could offer no reply. "Stay with your sister," Damon said. "She'll need a friendly face." With that, he strolled out of the room, slamming the front door forcefully behind him.

* * *

Elena felt a cool hand brushing a few loose strands of hair off her temple. "Damon," she breathed in relief. She shifted and tried to force her eyes open against the pounding in her head keeping them shut.

"Uhh, no…" said the voice attached to the hand.

"Jer?" Elena shot up, then immediately reeled in pain. She felt Jeremy's hands reach out to steady her and threw her own arms around him in a hug. "Oh my god, Jeremy, I've missed you!" she said into his neck, feeling the tears already beginning to roll down her face.

"I've missed you too," he smiled into her hair. "Last time I saw you, I thought I was gonna be your dinner," he chuckled.

Elena realized her face was still buried in Jeremy's neck and decided to pull away before any cravings for blood kicked in. Right now every muscle in her body ached and she wanted nothing more than to sleep until the pain went away.

"How are you doing?" Jeremy asked.

_Shit, he looks really worried. _"I'm fine, Jer," she said. Elena tried to smile, but knew it probably only reached a small grimace before fading away as a new wave of pain washed over her.

"You look like crap," Jeremy said as he got off the couch and walked to the kitchen.

"Hey!" Elena squealed and launched a pillow at him that was deflected as he opened the fridge door.

"Here, have one of these," Jeremy said and tossed a blood bag at her.

Elena caught it with ease and eyed it curiously. "How long have you been keeping blood in the fridge?" Elena turned to Jeremy with a coy smile. "Do you have _another _vampire girlfriend?" She laughed as she dug her fangs into the bag and felt the cool blood ooze down her throat. It didn't compare to the taste of fresh blood, but it eased the ache in her muscles considerably.

"Take another," Jeremy said as he tossed another bag her way. "And no, I don't. Damon just brought these over." He shut the door and walked to the edge of the living room as Elena continued to feed. "He's out getting a small stash for the house. He thinks you should be able to stay here for a bit, and you'll need something to eat."

Elena drained the second bag and felt the strength renter her superhuman muscles. She felt her senses return from their dull slumber and was instantly aware of every noise in the house from the fluttering curtains of her bedroom window to Jeremy's pounding heart. _Mmm, fresh blood would be _so _good right now. _Elena felt her fangs extend as the need for blood began clouding her vision.

"Elena?" Jeremy's voice wavered as he began slowly backing up into the kitchen again.

Elena released a snarl as she forced herself to still on the couch. She closed her eyes and counted several deep breaths. Despite not needing the air, the technique worked just as well as when Damon had helped calm her nerves before hunting the campers. She opened her eyes once more to see a terrified Jeremy slowly reaching out for the kitchen knives. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice a bit shaky. She took a final breath to steady herself. "I'm okay." She looked at Jeremy who still hadn't relaxed. "Chill, Jer, I'm not gonna eat you," she chuckled.

Finally, a smile crossed Jeremy's face and he came back to the living room. He sat several feet away from Elena, clearly not trusting her restraint just yet. "So has Stefan been helping you learn how to hold back?" he asked.

Elena grimaced slightly at the name. _I should probably call him before he gets too worried…_ "No, actually. Damon's the one who's been helping the most." The smile she felt spreading across her face faded quickly when she thought about Damon and why she was here right now. "I really owe him an apology," she told Jeremy. "I was being really, really stupid. If I hadn't been so impulsive, Damon wouldn't have had to rescue me from that psycho bitch."

"Damon said as much," Jeremy smirked. He crossed his arms and looked quizzically at his sister. "What's going on with you two?"

"What do you mean?" Elena's eyes widened slightly. _I mean, Damon wouldn't have told Jeremy about… No… I mean, he brags an awful lot, but…_

"I don't know," Jeremy shrugged. "It's just that you sound like you're spending a lot of time with him." Elena made to protest but Jeremy cut her off. "Don't even try to deny it, Elena. I see that look in your eye when you talk about him."

"What look?" Elena said, completely baffled.

"Oh come on, Elena," Jeremy said as he rolled his eyes. "I grew up around here, I've seen that look plenty of times. You gave it to that boy at the pool in sixth grade, to Matt, to Stefan," he ticked the names off on his fingers, "and now Damon."

Elena couldn't meet Jeremy's direct stare. "No, Jer, I swear it's not like that." She fidgeted with the edge of her shirt, twisting it back and forth over her thumb. _Oh, why try to hide it from him? _"I mean, it's not like I can help it," she mumbled.

"Well, you'd better do something about it," he said firmly. "You chose Stefan and you have to live with that choice." Jeremy sighed. "Look, Rose said she was rooting for you and Damon because-"

Elena heard the car pull up to the curb before Jeremy's human ears could register the sound. She cut him off quickly, but shot him a look that demanded an explanation at a later date "This isn't over," she whispered and smacked her brother lightly with a pillow. _So Rose told Jeremy she was team Damon, huh? Well, I guess she's the first person who's officially on that side. _Elena sighed as the front door opened and Damon's piercing blue gaze locked on her own. She caught a glimpse of a tender expression on his face before it was washed away by a cocky smirk.

Damon strolled into the house carrying a small duffel bag full of blood bags that he promptly shoved in the fridge. "I see she didn't eat you while I was away," he intoned to Jeremy over his shoulder.

"She tried," Jeremy chuckled as he shot a knowing glance at Elena. While Damon's back was still turned, Jeremy caught his sister's eye and motioned to Damon with a warning glance. "Anyway," Jeremy yawned as he stood up, "it's late." He glanced at the clock for reassurance. "Er, early, I guess. I dunno. Look, you're back," he pointed at Damon, "I'm going to bed."

"Night, Jer," Elena said as she flashed her eyes at her brother in true Damon fashion.

Damon walked over and stood by Elena, arms crossed over his muscled chest. "What was that whole eye conversation about?" he whispered lowly.

"You weren't supposed to notice," she hissed and smacked him playfully, sending a fresh wave of pain through her still-tender arm.

Damon narrowed his eyes as he watched Elena try to conceal her pain. "Bed. Now," he commanded.

"Oh yeah?" Elena teased. She crossed her arms over her chest in imitation of Damon. "Make me."

With that, Damon scooped her in his arms as though she were completely weightless and rushed her up the stairs at vampire speed. He deposited her gently on her bed as his eyes danced with pleasure at her shocked expression.

"Good night, Elena," he said sternly and kissed her quickly on the top of her head. He turned toward her open window and put his foot on the ledge before Elena's voice called out to him.

"Wait," she said. Her voice was barely a whisper, but it contained the sweet longing Damon had heard a handful of times in the last several days. The longing that cooled his tormented heart and made him forget the rest of the world existed.

He sighed and turned back around, his icy blue eyes unable to conceal the delicious pain her voice stirred within him. "Elena, you can't keep doing this. You're home. We already know you're not gonna eat Jeremy. Now just rest until the rest of the vervain leaves your system." He ran a strong hand through his raven locks in distress. "I can't keep doing this." He turned to leave once more when he was stopped not by Elena's voice, but by her hand lacing itself through his fingers.

"Please," she whispered. She couldn't be alone. Not after the craziness of the last few days. From Stefan being so damn accepting to the psychotic woman who had attacked her, Elena couldn't handle this many emotions alone. Maybe it was only a moment of weakness, but she needed Damon to stay. She needed him.

He felt his shoulders relax involuntarily. Every muscle in his body was begging him to stay. _I can't do this. I can't have her, every perfect inch of her, then watch her go right back to Stefan. _Elena's other hand was moving slowly across his back. As if by its own volition, his body turned back to the girl and wrapped it's arms tightly around her waist.

Elena saw the hurt in his eyes and knew he was trying to tear himself away from her. "Damon," she whispered as she traced a line delicately from his jaw to his temple, "I need you."

One long look from those irresistible doe eyes and hearing those sweet lips calling out his name sealed his fate. Damon trailed one hand slowly up from Elena's waist, watching her shiver as he passed each vertebra. He brought the hand to rest on the back of her neck and pulled her toward him as his fingers clenched her silky brown hair. In an instant his lips were molded against hers as though they had belonged there for every second of his extended life.

_I love you._

Neither of them had spoken the words, as their lips were far too entangled with the other's. Yet somehow, both of them sensed the words as if they had been burned into their flesh. Damon pulled back and studied Elena's perfect face which was scrutinizing his own with equal curiosity.

"Did you say…?" she asked.

Damon shook his head. He hadn't said anything, he had just felt it. Deeper and stronger than words, it had been a way of communicating that seemed to reach directly to his soul. _If the undead actually have souls, that is…._

"I felt it, too," she whispered, sure that the intense emotion blazing through her body in the form of three little words was burning through Damon in exactly the same way.

Before she could speculate any further, Damon's lips were pressed to hers with renewed passion. She slipped her tongue into his mouth in an effort to claim every part of him as her own. Damon walked her backward until the backs of her knees brushed against the bed, at which point Elena pulled him on top of her, dying to feel the force of him pushing her into the mattress. Damon worked his way to her neck, kissing and licking a burning trail of skin. As his lips grazed against her slender neck, Elena was overcome by a desire to feel Damon's teeth sinking into her flesh. "Bite me," she begged.

Damon paused and looked directly into her chocolate brown eyes. He had envisioned tasting Elena's blood countless times, had dreamt about the sweet scent of it rolling down his throat. Now here she was, lying before him, begging him to rip into her flesh. His erection was tearing through his jeans at the thought, but he forced himself to ask, "Are you sure?"One steady nod was all it took for Damon to feel his fangs elongate and the veins darken in the skin beneath his eyes. He cupped Elena's neck tenderly and brought his lips slowly closer to her pulse point. He licked the spot once, desire to taste her consuming him entirely. Damon sank his fangs into her with one quick bite and felt heaven trickling through his lips. She tasted sweeter than he could have possibly imagined, every drop of her blood sending pleasure coursing through his extremities. Damon moaned deeply and felt Elena quivering with pleasure beneath him. It was not just the sensation of her blood, but the fact that every drop sent those three little burning words flooding through his system that nearly sent him over the edge.

Elena moaned beneath him. His bite filled her with indescribable need to be consumed by him entirely. His gentle sucking at her flesh sent waves of pleasure crashing through her body to a growing crescendo in her core. As he began to pull away, the words 'I love you' burned hotly through her entire body, creating a pleasure that sent her spiraling to a climax.

As Elena lay panting, Damon gently released her neck and brought up a hand to wipe the remaining blood off his mouth. "No, let me," Elena murmured as she sat up and pulled Damon's face toward her own. Her lips caressed his, then trailed over his chin and jaw, lapping up every drop of her own blood. A fierce groan fled Damon's mouth as his body danced in excitement at Elena's touch. The knowledge that she was tasting the same intoxicating substance that had trailed down his throat just moments before had him ready to explode.

"Elena," he moaned and forced her down onto the bed as he ripped off her clothing before removing his own. He eyed her naked body greedily, appreciating her sprawled out before him on a bed for the first time. Damon spread her legs with a quick shove and brought himself to her entrance, driven by an uncontrollable desire to get inside.

"Wait," Elena whispered swiftly, then drew Damon into a deep kiss as she rolled on top of him. She hovered over his aching length, watching his eyes sweep hungrily over her body. "Enjoy the view," she said seductively and lowered herself until he filled her completely.

Seeing Elena working so hard to pleasure him released a moan from deep within Damon's throat. He thrust up into her and was gratified by a wave of pleasure coursing through his body. Elena began to grind slowly up and down his shaft, emitting her own purrs of enjoyment with each movement. Damon began to pick up the pace, desperate to explode within her.

Elena hungrily watched the tortured look of pleasure on Damon's face while his hands worked up and down her sides. She decided to make the moment even sweeter for him as she slipped her finger delicately into his mouth. "Drink," she whispered, and instantly felt his fangs sink into her skin. The taste of Elena's blood threw Damon over the edge instantly and his pulsing inside of her made Elena quiver with the force of her own orgasm.

The pair collapsed back on the bed and Damon pulled Elena tightly against his body. He felt her arms encircle his chest as her head nestled softly into his neck. He sighed, amazed how one night could contain such a wild mix of emotions. Having Elena safely in his arms, giving herself to him entirely and truly wanting him to enjoy it was far too amazing to be real. Perhaps because it all felt like a surreal dream, Damon turned his mouth to Elena's ear and whispered as he slipped into sleep, "I love you."

* * *

_A/N: And there you have it. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I really truly thank you for reading the story this far! I believe the next chapter will finally bring us to the point teased in the summary about what will happen to Damon when he hits his breaking point. I'm also looking to bring in a few more members of the Mystic Falls gang and to show how their influence will weigh on Elena's emotions. But that's all the preview you get for now! I'll do my best to get Chapter 6 out within the next week. Once more, thank you for your continued interest in this story and I would LOVE to hear what you think about it!_


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Hey guys, long time no see! The last several months have kept me exceptionally busy, but I've been thinking of this story and have been dying to get back to it. It's transformed quite a bit from the original vision I had, but I think it's all for the better. I can't thank you enough for reading this far, and I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint! Be warned that it's a bit darker than the rest, but I promise it's for good reason. Enjoy! :)_

* * *

Elena squinted through the darkness. _This school sure doesn't leave many lights on after hours_, she made her way through the empty halls, pausing outside of Alaric's old classroom. She stroked the wooden doorframe softly, lamenting the loss of yet another loved one.

"Ouch!" Elena looked down at her hand and saw a wooden splinter protruding from her index finger. She winced as she pulled it out. She grasped her finger tightly, but couldn't stop the slow trickle of blood falling from her fingertip. With another slight wince of pain, she turned from the classroom and made her way once more down the hall.

"Elena," a voice called from the darkness.

She moved closer to the sound as its ghostly echo reverberated off the lockers and linoleum floor. Elena wandered to the gym, realizing a small trail of blood had been left in her path.

"Elena," the voice called from somewhere in the gym's depths.

A single light shone from above in the center of the gymnasium, creating a cone of muted yellow light alone in the darkness. She entered the patch of light as the black corners of the room appeared to draw nearer with every breath. She clenched her hands in fists, wincing again at the pain from her bleeding finger.

"Elena," the voice called, closer now.

She spun in a circle, searching frantically for the owner of the voice. Her breath came in short gasps and her heartbeat pulsed through her ears. "Who's there?" she called, spinning in another half circle as her eyes scanned the darkness.

From the other side of the circle, a figure stepped into the beam of light.

"Stefan!" Elena exclaimed, throwing her hand to her pulsing heart in surprise. "Oh my god," she gasped. "You scared me!" As her breathing came back under control, Elena studied Stefan's appearance. Something about his posture, his way of breathing, seemed off, somehow. "Stefan?" she asked after a few seconds of silence.

Stefan offered only a small smile in response. His dark eyes were alight with an emotion Elena couldn't quite understand. He moved closer and wrapped one hand around Elena's waist, taking her left hand in his. Elena allowed him to move her around the circle, swaying slightly back and forth.

"Stefan, why are we dancing in an empty gym with no music?" She was at once puzzled and slightly amused. _Why would he meet me here in a place that has such bad memories for us?_

Rather than answer her question, Stefan posed one of his own: "Why don't we ever get to dance together?"

Elena sighed quietly. From decade dances to founders' events, so many of their opportunities for intimate slow dances had been broken up by the many supernatural creatures at work in Mystic Falls. "These things don't often work out for us," Elena sighed as she rested her head on Stefan's shoulder.

"Why don't you want to dance with me, Elena?"

The question took her by surprise. "Stefan, what do you mean? I'm here with you now, aren't I?" She looked at his face, once more perplexed by his actions.

If Stefan had heard what she said, he didn't show it. His eyes remained impassive rocks that somehow carried an unidentifiable emotion. He tightened his grip on her body with considerable force. "I _said_, why don't you want to dance with me?" The mysterious look in Stefan's eyes was quickly turning into rage.

"Ah!" Elena gasped. "Stop!" She looked at his face quizzically. "Stefan, stop. You're hurting me!"

Just then, her eyes were drawn to a stain of dark, red blood on Stefan's sleeve. She gasped, realizing her still bleeding hand was creating a deep stain on Stefan's shirt, dripping over his forearm and forming a small pool at their feet. _How the hell am I losing so much blood?_ "Stefan, stop. I'm bleeding all over you," Elena cried, panic rising in her voice.

Stefan released his grip minimally and fixed his gaze intently on her bleeding fingertip. "Why don't you give me a little taste?" he asked as veins sprang to the surface beneath his eyes.

"No. Stop!" Elena commanded as she struggled in his grip. "You're scaring me!"

Keeping one arm tightly around her torso, Stefan dropped the hand he was holding and grabbed the bleeding one forcefully. There was an intense hunger in his gaze and Elena feared she was seeing the ripper that constantly lurked somewhere deep inside of him. "But you let Damon drink your blood," Stefan accused. He averted his gaze from her hand only long enough to shoot daggers at her startled expression.

With her free hand, Elena tried to push him away, yet no amount of force was able to move him. "That was different, Stefan. It wasn't like this."

Stefan let loose a raging snarl that exposed the monster underneath his human skin. He locked eyes with Elena once more as he drew her hand slowly closer to his awaiting fangs. "Blood sharing is personal, Elena. It's something that can't be undone." His voice dripped with malice as he held her finger above his mouth and let a single drop fall onto his awaiting tongue. "Mmm," he moaned with a glint of destruction in his eye.

"Stefan! Stop!" Elena screamed. She struggled frantically, wanting anything but to let him taste more of her blood. She knew that once he started drinking, he would drain every ounce from her body. She watched him pull her finger slowly into his mouth and open his jaws wide.

"AAAAAAAHHH!" Elena woke with a shriek, sitting bolt upright in bed. Sweat dripped from every pore and her breath came in sharp waves. She raised her right hand in front of her face, thankful that her skin was intact without a trace of blood. She pulled the sheet up tight around her torso as her shoulders began to heave. Terror, rage and guilt wound their way firmly around her heart, forcing a few tears to drip from her eyes. A hand reached out to stroke her back gently, but Elena jumped at the contact.

"Easy," Damon soothed as he sat up and softly placed his hand on her damp skin once more.

The door to Elena's bedroom swung open, as her younger brother rushed in with rumpled bed head and panicked eyes. "Elena, are you-" Jeremy stopped short as he took stock of the situation. "What the hell?!" Seeing his sister's tears, Jeremy turned to Damon. "What the fuck did you do to her?"

Damon opened his mouth with a hard glint in his eye, but before he could reply, Elena cut in. "It was just a nightmare, Jer. I'm fine." She wiped her eyes with one hand and held the sheet tightly in the other, too embarrassed to make eye contact with her sibling.

Apparently unconvinced, Jeremy stood rooted to the spot. "You don't have to defend him, Elena." His eyes were fixed intently on Damon. "I swear to God, if you hurt my sister-"

Damon clamped his lips in a firm line as though he was trying to refrain from quite literally biting Jeremy's head off.

"Jeremy, stop," Elena interjected. "Get out." When her brother still didn't move, she tried again: "Out! Now!" Her shoulders still shaking, Elena stared at the wall in front of her until she heard Jeremy re-enter his own room with a heavy slam of the door. Several more tears trickled down her cheeks, but Elena made no attempt to wipe them away.

Damon watched the beautiful, fragile girl beside him try to steady her breathing, try to be so strong. He wanted to reach out and hold her, but sensed that it would only push her farther away. He should be furious with her. After all, she was the one who had begged him to stay when he tried to leave. She was the one who kept pushing _him _away. All she had to do was say the word, and she'd be his forever in an instant. And _that_ was Damon's biggest downfall. He would suffer through her running back to Stefan a million more times if it meant he got to hold her once more, got to kiss her soft lips and feel the sting of those three little words imprinted so deeply on his skin. He could call it being whipped, or he could call it being in love, but there was no way for him to turn away from Elena at a time like this. He reached out and gingerly stroked the knuckles of her hand clenched in a fist by her side. Damon eyed her cautiously, waiting for Elena to pull away. When she didn't, he said softly, "We can always compel him. Make him forget about all of tonight." He furrowed his raven brows and waited for a reaction.

After a few moments, Elena shook her head slightly. "He's been through too much of that already. I can't make him do it again." She glanced at Damon, taking in the undisguised look of worry etched into his face. Elena wished he wouldn't look at her like that. How could he be so caring when she'd stomped on his heart again and again? And she'd been doing the exact same thing to Stefan, only he didn't know it yet. The guilt from her dream clung to her like the sweat on her skin, a sticky feeling that churned her insides. A fresh wave of tears bubbled to the surface and Elena let them come unhindered. She was humiliated that Jeremy had caught her breaking the hearts of everyone she cared about, but even more upset that she had let it happen, that she had asked for it.

Damon pulled Elena to him slowly, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. She didn't fight him, but instead let him hold her until her breath gradually returned to normal. He ran his fingers through her hair and across her smooth skin, tracing small swirls along her spine. With her head curled into his shoulder, he turned and kissed her gently on the crown of her head. He had made up his mind. Tonight would be the last night he was ever with Elena Gilbert. As fiercely as he loved her, being in her life brought pain to the both of them. She should be with Stefan, he knew that. She knew that. And by pretending things were any different, he was only making the situation that much harder on her. _So maybe Stef was right,_ he thought, _maybe I should go_.

At that moment he felt a puff of hot air that suggested Elena had mumbled something into his neck. "What was that?" he murmured into her hair.

She tilted her lips up closer to his ear. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Sorry for asking him to stay? Sorry that they had been caught? Or sorry because they both sensed something final was taking place at this very moment? Elena didn't know the answer. She didn't want to know.

Damon cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand and brought her face up to meet his. "You have nothing to be sorry for." He planted a small kiss on her forehead and felt the same achingly sweet sensation he did every time their skin connected.

Elena summoned up the courage and planted a light kiss on Damon's lips. Those same three little words burned so intensely in her skin that she let them fall from her lips: "I love you." Damon nodded. He knew. She stared into his watery blue eyes that were the same color as the surface of that moonlit lake. Could it be possible that they had been there only a few nights ago? So much had changed since then, so much that would never be the same. But these changes had come too quickly; there had been too many. She hadn't gone about any of this in the right way, and now she was paying the price. What they had couldn't last. Damon would either take the starring role in her life, or none at all. She knew that now.

Focusing her eyes back on the man in front of her, Elena made herself ask the question that had been burning inside of her. "Can…" she faltered, "can you give me just one more night?"

Damon stared into the eyes of the beautiful creature before him. He brushed his thumb over her lower lip, trying to implant its texture permanently into his brain. "For you? Anything." He pulled her face toward him gently and planted a slow, smoldering kiss upon her lips.

In an instant, he rolled himself on top of her, memorizing the feel of her tongue upon his. The two pressed close to each other, wanting nothing but to feel the other's skin becoming part of their own. Damon trailed his fingers slowly down Elena's stomach to the heated skin between her thighs. He ran his fingers over its wet, smooth surface until Elena moaned in pleasurable agony. "I need you," she whispered with eyes that burned with passion like never before. She reached out and gripped his firm shaft, bringing him to her entrance. Damon followed her lead and lowered himself slowly, patiently into her body. He savored the sensation as she claimed every inch of his flesh until he was fully buried within her. Their bodies joined together in a perfect rhythm, moving to the beat of a steady drummer that gradually increased the tempo. Their hands, lips and limbs remained intertwined as Damon pulled away and pushed himself in deeper once more.

Elena hoped this moment would never end, but felt herself losing control with every passing second. Once this was over, it would never happen again, and there was one thing left that she needed to do. "Damon," she breathed his name as a steady moan as he took her higher and higher towards paradise. He lifted his lips away from her neck and stared into her eyes with a heated gaze that revealed he was as close to the edge as she. Without another word, Elena lifted her lips to his neck and sank her fangs deep within his flesh. His blood was pure ecstasy. The taste of it sent shivers up her spine. Everything she tasted was him: his cool, cocky exterior that covered a deeply caring and compassionate side. She could taste his overflowing love and his determination to keep her from pain for the rest of her supernatural life.

Just as Elena was about to explode, she felt Damon grasp her hand and with a quick bite, suck the blood from her fingertip. In that instant, she lost all sense of where she was and what was happening. All she could feel was Damon, everywhere. Where did her body end and his begin? In that instant she felt their very souls blend together in a moment of pleasure that carried them to another world.

With a heavy moan, Elena snapped back to reality and tore her lips from Damon's neck. Her entire body was trembling as he exploded inside of her with several powerful thrusts that left her careening over the edge into a blissful abyss.

After several long moments, Damon removed himself from Elena and pulled her tight in his arms. He seared her lips with one final kiss, then wrapped his body protectively around her. He loved her, and he would never let anything hurt her. Not even himself.

As Elena dropped into a restful sleep at long last, a single thought flickered through her mind:

_Blood sharing is personal, Elena. It's something that can't be undone._

* * *

_A/N: And there you have it. This might not be the original "breaking point" I had in mind for Damon, but I was inspired by the somewhat softer side of him we've seen in season 4, and writing it this way will give me a few chances (hopefully) to play around with that a little. I know this one might get you down in the dumps, but cheer up, because you certainly won't have to wait as long for the next chapter as you did for this one. Once again, a huge **thank you** for reading this far. I really do pay attention to what you guys have to say, so please leave some feedback if you feel so inclined :)_


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